Replies

1. 
   calvin | Nov 25, 2010 06:51am | #1

   John

   I use 24 tooth carbide in my circular saw, run a 60 tooth in the mitre saw.  No problems with either.  Table saw, a bunch of static cling dust-40 tooth.  A jig saw is the worst-melts and seals right behind your cut.  Why?  High speed blade, slow feed rate.  Ideally you'd slow the blade speed down and move the saw through the material faster.  You can't slow down the blade, but you can increase the cutting speed.

   Is this pvc trim?

2. 
   MarkH | Nov 25, 2010 07:24am | #2

   This blade PC-620 is designed for plastic and plywood, from Amana tool.  Their products are top notch.  Only about 35 bucks, so it's not a dealbreaker.

   http://www.amanatool.com/circular-saw-blades/plywood-plastic-pc_620.html

   http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=plastic+saw+blade+pc-620&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS270US270&um=1&biw=1024&bih=553&ie=UTF-8&cid=15540293863860901142&ei=21PuTNaMPMHHnAeN7-HjCg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ8wIwAA#

   http://www.acetoolonline.com/Amana-PC-620-7-1-4-40T-PLASTIC-CUTTING-TCG-p/ama-pc-620.htm

3. 
   DanH | Nov 25, 2010 08:33am | #3

   One important thing is to have a blade with plenty of set, so the blade body isn't rubbing against the workpiece.

1. 
   JohnWalker | Nov 25, 2010 04:42pm | #4

   traditional kerf?

   These guys are using thin kerf blades which are popular with the real wood framers but it sounds like these are NOT suitable for solid plastic wood.

   Do they even make traditional keft blades anymore?

   Any thoughts on ATB or some other specialty blades?

   Thanks

   John

1. 
   calvin | Nov 25, 2010 05:56pm | #5

   John

   Try a faster feed rate-there really is no big deal cutting azek.  On the mitre box it's a thicker blade, same with the table saw.  The circ. saw I'm thinking the last time I did it it was a freud diablo.

   Cutting on the bevel is a little harder-more material to cut through.

   Blade depth?

1. 
   JohnWalker | Nov 25, 2010 06:53pm | #6

   blade depth?

   Calvin

   This stuff is a solid "2x4" product made out of recycled milk cartons etc. A 45 degree bevel requires over 2" of material be cut. They are using a 7.25" side-winder on a shoot board. Is there any reason to believe a chop saw would be better (presumably because it wouldn't wander at all).

   I am going to recommend they try a "thicker" blade. (I was hoping someone would have said "you need a ripping blade or ATB or ?")

   (....and now for driving the fourty thousand 4" lags...)

   again thanks for any info

   John

1. 
   MarkH | Nov 25, 2010 07:47pm | #7

   So no interest in the amana thick kerf triple chip grind positive hook blade designed for plastic huh?

2. 
   DanH | Nov 25, 2010 07:55pm | #8

   Too easy.

3. 
   MarkH | Nov 25, 2010 08:13pm | #10

   You sound like my dad!

   Work is supposed to be HARD, that's why they call it work.  He owns a few tools, makes them work for the job whether or not they were designed for it.  He was working so hard the other day he ended up in the ER.  Nothing much wrong, but he is diabetic and hadn't ate all day, and was dehydrated probably because he didn't drink anything all day either.  He was white and kind of incoherent, and wobbly.  He's fine now.

   This was two days before his 82nd birthday.

   He used to say I was cheating when I used the correct tool for the job.  Heck anybody could do that with THAT tool!

   Actually, I'm afraid not.

4. 
   calvin | Nov 25, 2010 08:02pm | #9

   John

   Correct blade depth means less blade in contact with the stuff-not sure I've come across milk carton recycled "wood', but read the plastic lumber part-made a poor assumption.  Still, the friction is causing the heat and causing the problem.  I'd get the blade Mark mentions and try it.

   I would not be using a circular saw for finish work in this case.  A long time ago we would finish a house's exterior wood trim by hand with a circ. saw.  It was almost considered good rough work.  Today, nope.  That they're using a saw track to carry the weight of the saw with the material held in position surely helps. 

   I was also assuming cutting it on the flat-in this case a 12" mitre saw would allow you to cut in on edge-again, less blade contact with the substance.  It'd have to be easier.

4. 
   ENDOR | Dec 17, 2010 06:12pm | #11

   Plastic Lumber

   Your plastic lumber is HDPE see for example

   http://www.epsplasticlumber.com/

1. 
   JohnWalker | Jan 14, 2011 10:19pm | #12

   Thanks all

   I left the site for four weeks and they are done!

   (Still it would have been nice to find a blade that worked better and lasted more than 8 hours!)

   (The amana blade might have been good but couldn't easily source one here.)

   John